Photographic printing device



April 15, 1958 H. MccAlN 2,830,493

PHOTOGRAPHICA PRINTING DEVICE Filed March 21, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 o fl'gzzw www April 15, 1958 H. l. MCCAIN 2,830,493

PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINTING DEVICE Filed March 21, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 2l w1, a we muto z tuna April 15, 1958 H. l. MccAlN 2,830,493

PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINTING DEVICE Filed March 2l, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 IN V EN TOR.

United States Patent O K PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINTING DEVICE Homer I. McCain, Traverse City, Mich.

Application March 21, 1955, Serial No. 495,531

6 Claims. (Cl. 88--24) v This invention relates to improvements in photographic printing device. The principal objects of this invention are:

First, to provide a printing easel for rapidly printing a` number of pictures in side by side relation on a single sheet of photographic paper from a single position of a projectionl printing device and negative.

Second, .to provide a printing easel which is easily adjusted to print pictures of different sizes so that a single sheet of photographic paper may be used to print a few l'arge pictures or a greater number of smaller pictures.

Third, to provide a printing easel in which a holder for photographic paper is moved in a preselected pattern beneath an apertured kmasking sheet and in which the movement of the sheet to preselected positions will automatically actuate ka projection printing device to rapidly print successive pictures on the photographic sheet.

Other objects and advantages of the invention `will be apparent from a consideration ofl the followingdescription and claims.

Fig. 'l is a perspective View of the assembled printingv Fig. 3 is a longitudinal cross sectional view taken along the plane of the line 3--3 in'Fig. l.

Fig. 4k isa fragmentary perspective view of the disengageable mount for the masking sheet on the easel.

Fig. is a plan view of a set of interchangeable masking sheets adapted for use on the easel. y

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of the easel with portions of the carriage broken away to illustrate the adjustments of the easel for printing dierent arrangement'of pictures.

Fig; 7 is a view of a printed photographic sheet showing one possible alinement of photographic prin-ts onthe sheet as printed on the easel.

The printing easel consists of a base plate 1 having a raised ledge 2 along its forward edge. Extending transversely across the mid portion of the base plate are angled rails 3 having outturned anges 4 on their upper edges. The anges 4 ride in and support grooved rollers 5 mounted in yokes 6 on the underside of a carriage plate 7. The carriage plate 7 projects forwardly over the raised ledge 2. y Y

Angularly swingably supported in atwise relation on the top of the ledge 2 is a positioning plate 8. The plate 8 has a series of longitudinally spaced holes labeled A. B, C and D which holes are arranged` to selectively receive a locating pin 9 mounted on top of the ledge 2. Adjustment of the positioning plate 8 on Ithe ledge will bring a different line of locating apertures 10 into alinement between the` pin 9 and the pivot 11 as `is best illustrated in Fig. 6. The line of apertures corresponding to hole has four apertures while the other lines contain- ICC diierent numbers of apertures arranged at differently spaced intervals.

The apertures 10 in the positioning plate 8 coact with and receive a locating pin 12 projecting downwardly from the bottom of a catch member 13. As is best illustrated in Figs. l, 2 and 3 the catch member 13 is pivoted at 14 within a switch housing 15. The switch housing 15 is secured to the forward edge of the carriage plate 7 by an angled handle 16 that is riveted to the carriage plate and extended upwardly over the switch housing and ex tended to form a handle 17 for adjusting the carriage plate on the rails 4. A gripper handle 18 is secured to the underside ofthe catch member 13 and angled upwardly underneath the handle 17 so that the grip 18 is conveniently raised to retract the locating pin 12 by simply gripping the operating handles 17 and 18.

Mounted within the switch housing 15 is an electrical switch 19 from which a control cable 20 extends. The cable 2l) is adapted to connect to and regulate a projection printing device for projecting light through a negative and directed toward the easel. Projection printers are well known and no attempt is made to disclose the action of the projector. Pivoted on the inside of the switch housing`15 is a notched lever 21 that is yieldingly held in spaced relationship with the actuating button 22 of the switch 19 by a spring 23. The pivot catch member 13` carries a separately pivoted link 24 the end of which engages in the notch in the lever 21. A fixed stop 25 on the catch member permits relatively clockwise tilting of the link as shown in Fig. 2 as the catch member 13 and pin 12 are drawn upwardly. The link and catch member therefore do not actuatethe switch 19 in being raised but when the catch member and pin 12 are lowered the fixed stop 25 limits counter clockwise rotation of the link 24 so that the end of the link presses the lever 21 against the switch button 22 in descending into the notch in the lever. This provides momentary actuation of the switch 19 for triggering the projection printer as the carriage plate and pin 12 come into registry with one of the locating holes 10.

The sides of the carriage plate 7 are bent upwardly in channel shaped flanges 26. A support plate 27 is slidably mounted on the flanges 26 by having its side edges bent downwardly along the sides of the flanges 26 as at 28 (see Fig. 6). The center of the support plate 27 carries a pivot pin 29 to which a flat photographic sheet holder 30 is adjustablysecured. The support plate 27 also forms locating detents 31 coacting with a detent 32 in the sheet holder for releasably locating the sheet holder at rotated positions on the support plate.

A downwardly projecting pivot 33 on the underside of the support plate adjustably carries an arm 34 that projects forwardly over the top of the carriage plate 7 and is bent upwardly'in an operating handle 35. Near its forward end the arm 34 carries a pin 36 projecting both above and below the arm. The upwardly projecting end of the pin 36 is selectively received in one of the angularly spaced holes in a hinge leaf 37 pivotally mounted on the forward edge of the support plate 27. Angular adjustment of the arm 34 and pin 36 into registry with diiferent ones of the holes in the leaf 37 brings the lower portion of the pin 36 into alinement with a different line s 3 rality of masking sheets 44. The masking sheets 44 have upstanding side flanges 45 with apertures therein for receiving the pintle portions 40 and 42. Each of the masking sheetsV 44 has a picture aperture 46 formed therein 'and the picture apertures are of different, size and different position in the s everal masking sheets.

Extending transversely over the carriage plate 7y and the support plate 27 is a bridge member 47 having a rearwardly extending flange 48 (See Fig. 3). The flange 4S supports the front edge of the selected masking sheet- 44 in spaced relationship above the photographic sheet holder Sti. A brace rod 49 pivoted on the bridge member 47 has a hooked end 50 that is slidably engageableover the side edge of the masking sheet to support the masking sheet in angularly elevated position as is shown in Fig. l and in dotted lines in Fig. 3.

In operating the printing easel a masking sheet 44 having the desired size and position of kaperture 46 is selected and mounted on the pintles 40 and 42. The masking sheet is held in elevatedk position by the brace 49 while the photographic sheet holderv 30 is turned on the pivot 29 to properly orient the sheet holder with the selected masking sheet. The support plate 27 is then adjusted by movement of the handle 35 and the pin 36 is brought into registry with the selected hole in the leaf 37 and the corresponding line of holes 38 so thatthe support plate land photographic sheet holder can move longitudinally at the desired spaced intervals underneath theaperture 46. The carriage plate 7 and the switch housingv 15 are then adjusted laterally on the base plate and the positioning plate 8 is adjusted on the pin 9 to bring the desired line of holes into registry with the catch pin 12. The easel is then in position to print a selected number of pictures in each row of a selected number of rows on a sheet of photographic paper.

The photographic paper is loaded in flat position as at 51 in the sheet holder 30 and the masking plate 44 is lowered into position over the photographic sheet. Progressive actuation of the handle 17 and grip 18 prints .la line of pictures across the sheet and at the end of each line the handle 3S is actuated to move the sheet longitudinally into position for printing a second line of pictures. In order that gripping and lifting action on the handles 17 and 18 may not move the carriage vertically and out of focus with the projection device the raised ledge 2 on the base plate is provided with `an overhanging lip 53 and a hold down roller 54 carried by the yoke 55 on the bottom of the carriage plate which rides under the lip 53.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed to be new and what is desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

l. A photograpic printing device comprising, a base plate, laterally extending rails having horizontally turned flanges and secured in parallel relation on said base plate, a raised ledge along the front edge of said base plate, a flat carriage having rollers mounted on vertical axis on its underside yand transversely and vertically engaged with the flanges of said rails to laterally slidably support said carriage, a first positioning plate angularly adjustably mounted on said ledge, a handle secured to said carriage and projecting over saidpositioning plate, a switch housing secured to the bottom ofI said handle at the forward edge of said carriage over said positioning plate, a catch pivoted in said housing and having a pin on its underside engageable with said positioning plate, said positioning plate having a plurality of divergent lines of holes therein with the holes in each line spaced differently and adapted toreceive said pin in different adjusted positions of said positioning plate, a grip on said catch adapted to be gripped with said handle to retract said pin out of said holes, a switch iny said housing adapted to be connected to the light of a projection printer, a one way trip mechanism in said'housing arranged to trip` said switchwhen said grip is actuated, upstanding anges extending longitudinally from front to rear along the sides of said carriage, a support plate slidably mounted on the flanges on said carriage, an arm pivoted on the underside of said support plate and projecting forwardly therefrom over the top of said carriage, said carriage having a plurality of lines of holes therein with the holes in each line having dilferent spacing, Aa pin on said arm selectively engageable in the holes in said carriage, an arm positioning leaf hinged to said support plate over said arm and having a plurality of holes selectively receiving a projection. on said arm with the pin on the arm alinedV with one of the lines of holes in said carriage, a photographic sheet holder horizontally rotatably mounted on said support plate, coacting detents locating said sheet holder in rotated po` sitions on said support plate, a fixed pintle supported above and to the rear of said carriage on said base plate, a laterally swingable pintle mounted on said base in opposed relation to said rst pintle, a masking sheet having upstanding flanges on its sides with said pintles removably engaged with the anges at the rear of the sheet, a bridge spanning the adjusted positions of said carriage and having a ledge supporting the front of said masking sheet, and a brace pivoted on said bridge and slidably engageable with the edge of said masking sheet to support said masking sheet in angularly elevated position over said sheet holder, said masking sheet having -a printing aperture formed therein registering with dif-l ferent portions of said sheet holder as determined by the locations of said pins- 2. A photographic printing device comprising, a base plate, laterally extending rails secured in parallel relation on said base plate, a raised ledge along the front edge of said base plate, a flat carriage having rollers engaged with ysaid rails to laterally slidably support said carriage, a rst positioning plate angularly adjustably mounted on said ledge, a handle secured to said carriage and projecting over said positioning plate, a switch housing secured tov the forward edge of said carriage over said positioning plate, a catch pivoted in said housing and having a pin on its underside engageable with said positioning plate, said positioning plate having a plurality of divergentl linesl of holes therein with the holes in each line spaced differently and adapted to receive said pin in different adjusted positions of saidpositioning plate, a grip on said catch adapted to retract said pin out of said holes, a

switch in said housing adapted to be connected to the light'of a projection printer, a one Way tn'p mechanism in said housing arranged to trip said switch when said grip is actuated, a support plate slidably mounted on said carriage, an arm pivoted on the underside of said support plate and projecting forwardly therefrom over the top of said carriage, said carriage having a plurality of lines of holes therein with the holes in each line having different spacing, a pin on said arm selectively engageable in the holes in said carriage, an arm positioning leaf hinged to `said support plate over said arm and having a plurality of holes selectively receiving a projection on said arm with the pin on the arm alined with one of the lines of holes in said carriage, a photographic sheet holder horizontally rotatably mounted on said support plate, a fixed pintle supported above and to the rear of said carriage on said base plate, a laterally swingable pintle mounted on said base plate in opposed relation to said first pintle, a masking sheet engaged with the pintles at the rear of the sheet, a bridge spanning the adjusted positions of said carriage and supporting the front of said masking sheet, and a brace pivoted on said bridge and slidably engageable with the edge of said masking sheet to support said masking` sheet in angularly elevated position over said sheet holder, said masking sheet having a printing aperture formed therein registering with different portions of said sheet holder as determined by the locations of said pins.

3. A photographic printing device comprising,` a, base plate, laterally extending rails secured in parallel relation on said base plate, a flat carriagel having rollers engaged with said rails to laterally slidably support said carriage, a positioning plate angularly adjustably mounted on the front of said base plate, a handle secured to said carriage and projecting over said positioning plate, a switch housing secured to the forward edge of said carriage over said positioning plate, a catch pivoted in said housing and having a pin on its underside engageable with said positioning plate, said positioning plate having a plurality of divergent lines of holes therein with the holes in each line spaced differently and adapted to receive said pin in different adjusted positions of said positioning plate, a grip on said catch adapted to retract said pin out of said holes, a switch in said housing adapted to be connected to the light of a projection printer, a one way trip mechanism in said housing arranged to trip said switch when said pin falls into one of said holes, a support plate slidably mounted on said carriage, an arm pivoted on the underside of said support plate and projecting forwardly therefrom over the top of said carriage, said carriage having a plurality of lines of holes therein with the holes in the lines having different spacing, a pin on said arm selectively engageable in the holes in said carriage, an arm positioning leaf hinged to said support plate in lapped relation to said arm and having a plurality of holes selectively receiving a projection on said arm with the pin on the arm alined with one of the lines yof holes in said carriage, a photographic sheet holder horizontally rotatably mounted on said support plate, pintles supported above and to the rear of said carriage on said base plate, a masking sheet engaged with the pintles at the rear of the sheet, and a bridge spanning the adjusted positions of said carriage and supporting the front of said masking sheet, said masking sheet having a printing aperture formed therein registering with diierent portions of said sheet holder as determined by the locations of said pins,

4. A photographic printing device comprising, a base plate, laterally extending rails secured in parallel relation on said base plate, a flat carriage having rollers engaged with said rails to laterally slidably support said carriage, a positioning plate angularly adjustably mounted on the front of said base plate, a handle lsecured to said carriage, a switch housing secured to the forward edge of said carriage over said positioning plate, a catch pivoted in said housing and having a pin on its underside engageable with said positioning plate, said positioning plate having a plurality of divergent lines of holes therein with the holes in each line spaced differently and adapted to receive said pin in different adjusted positions of said positioning plate, a grip on said catch adapted to retract said' pin out of said holes, a switch in said housing adapted Ito be connected to the light of a projection printer, a one way trip mechanism in said housing -arranged to trip said switch when said pin falls into one of said holes, a support plate slidably mounted on said carriage, an arm4 pivoted on said support plate and projecting forwardly therefrom over the top of said carriage, said carriage having a plurali-ty of lines of holes therein with the holes in the lines having different spacing, a pin on said arm selectively engageable in the holes inl said carriage, arm positioning recesses in said support plate selectively receiving a position of said arm with the pin on the arm alined with one of the lines of holes in said carriage, a photographic sheet holder horizontally rotatably mounted on said support plate, pintles supported above and to the rear of said carriage on said base plate, a masking sheet removably engaged with the pintles at the rear of the sheet, and a bridge spanning the adjusted positions of said carriage and supporting the front of said masking sheet, said masking sheet having a printing aperture formed therein registering with different portions of said sheet holder as determined by the locations of said pins.

5. A photographic printing device comprising, a base plate, laterally extending rails secured in parallel relation on said base plate, a raised ledge along the front edge of said base plate, a at carriage having rollers mounted on vertical axes on its underside and transversely rand vertically engaged with said rails to laterally slidably support said carriage, a first positioning plate angularly adjustably mounted on said ledge, a handle secured to said carriage and projecting over said positioning plate, a catch pivoted on said carriage and having a pin on its underside engageable with said positioning plate, said positioning plate having a plurality of divergent lines of holes therein with the holes in each line spaced differently and adapted to receive said pin in different adjusted positions of said positioning plate, a grip on said catch adapted to be gripped with said handle to retract said pin out of said holes, upstanding flanges extending longitudinally from front to rear along the sides of said carriage, a support plate slidably mounted on the flanges on said carriage, an arm pivoted on the underside of said support plate and projecting forwardly therefrom over the top of said carriage, said carriage having a plurality of lines of holes therein with the holes in each line having different spacing, a pin on said arm selectively engageable in the holes in said carriage, an arm positioning leaf hinged to said support plate over said arm and having a plurality of holes selectively receiving a projection on said arm with the pin on the arm alined with one of the lines of holes in said carriage, a photographic sheet holder horizontally rotatably mounted on said support plate, coacting detents locating said sheet holder in rotated positions on said support plate, opposed laterally spaced pintles mounted on the rear of said base plate, a masking sheet having upstanding flanges on its sides with said pintles removably engaged with the flanges at the rear of the sheet, a bridge spanning the adjusted positions of said carriage and supporting the front of said masking sheet, and a lbrace pivoted on said bridge and slidably engageable with the edge of said masking sheet to support said masking sheet in angularly elevated position over said 'sheet holder, said masking sheet having a printing aperture formed therein registering with different portions of said sheet holder as determined by the locations of said pins.

6. A photographic printing device comprising, a base plate, laterally extending rails secured in parallel relation on said base plate, a dat carriage having rollers mounted on vertical axes on its underside and transversely and vertically engaged with said rails to laterally slidably support said carriage, a irst positioning plate angularly adjustably mounted on said base plate, a handle secured to said carriage, a catch pivoted on said carriage and having a pin on its underside engageable with said positioning plate, said positioning plate having a plurality of divergent lines of holes therein with the holes in each line spaced differently and adapted to receive said pin in different adjusted positions of said positioning plate, a grip on said catch adapted to retract said pin out of said holes, a support plate slidably mounted on said carriage, an arm pivoted on said support plate and projecting forwardly therefrom over the top of said carriage, said carriage having a plurality of lines of holes therein with the holes in each line having different spacing, a pin on said arm selectively engageable in the holes in said carriage, an arm positioning leaf hinged to said support plate and having a plurality of holes selectively receiving a projection on said arm with the pin on the arm alined with one of the lines of holes in said carriage, a photographic sheet holder mounted on said support plate, opposed laterally spaced pintles mounted on the rear of said base plate, a masking sheet having upstanding flanges on its sides with said pintles removably engaged with the flanges at the rear of the sheet, a bridge spanning 7 8 the adjusted` positions, of said vcarriage and supporting the References Cited in thele of this patent front ofsaid masking sheet, and a brace pivoted on K UNITED STATES, PATENTS said bridge and slidably engageable with the edge of said masking Sheet to support said masking sheet in angularly 1113549 Franke Oct' 13' 1914 elevated position over said sheet holder, said masking 5 2167298 Hardy* July 25 1939 sheet having a printing aperture formed therein register'- 2490794, Horsham Dec' 13 1949 ing with diierent portions of said sheet holder as deter- 2605675 Moureld Aug' 5 1952 

